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Chapter 2

Autor: F. Harlan
The next afternoon, I went to pick Theo up from school.

The moment I reached the classroom door, I saw him standing alone in the corner, his eyes red and swollen like he had been crying.

My heart clenched. I rushed over and pulled him into my arms.

"Theo, what happened? Who hurt you?"

As soon as he saw me, he burst into tears. His small hands clutched the front of my shirt.

"Daddy, I'm hungry... Mia took my lunch..."

My head buzzed.

I prepared Theo's portions carefully every day. They were exactly what he needed. If he had not eaten lunch, that meant he had gone hungry for an entire day.

More importantly, with his condition, skipping meals could trigger low blood sugar and stomach cramps.

Holding back my anger, I turned to look for Ms. Walker.

She was chatting and laughing with a few parents. When she saw me coming, her face immediately hardened.

"Ethan, good. I was just about to talk to you.

"During lunch today, Theo behaved very poorly. Mia only wanted to taste his food, but he refused to share and made her cry.

"I already corrected him. You should continue the lesson at home. Children can't grow up selfish."

For a second, I could not believe what I was hearing.

My son's lunch had been taken from him, and somehow he was the one at fault?

"Ms. Walker, that lunch belonged to my son. Why should he have to give it to someone else? Is this how you teach children?"

My voice was loud enough that the nearby parents all turned to look.

Ms. Walker clearly felt embarrassed. Her tone turned sharper.

"What kind of attitude is that? Children sharing food is perfectly normal.

"Besides, Mark already mentioned it in the group yesterday. If you didn't want to pack an extra lunch, fine, but what is the problem with Mia taking a few bites today?

"Where is your sense of community?"

I was shaking with anger. I pointed straight at her.

"Don't use 'community' to pressure me. My son's food is a medically restricted allergy-safe meal. That child stole it, you did nothing, and now you are accusing my son of being selfish?

"Let me be very clear. This is not over."

I picked Theo up and left.

At home, I made him another meal. Watching him eat like he had been starved made my heart ache so badly my eyes burned.

Then I opened the parent chat and tagged both Mark and Ms. Walker.

"I want an explanation for what happened at lunch today. Since when is stealing another child's food acceptable?

"Tomorrow morning, I will be at the preschool. If my son does not receive an apology, this will not end quietly."

Mark replied almost immediately.

"Wow, playing the victim now?

"My daughter eating a few bites of your son's food was a compliment. Don't get full of yourself.

"Tomorrow, then. You think I'm scared of you?"

The parent chat was unusually active that night.

After those arrogant messages, Mark began working the crowd.

"Everyone, tell me if I'm wrong. This guy couldn't even keep his wife, and now he's raising a kid alone with this weird temper.

"My daughter was just trying to be nice because she felt sorry for his son. She ate a couple of bites to bond with him, and he starts screaming in the group chat.

"Kids from families like that usually have issues. You should all tell your children to keep their distance. Who knows what they might pick up?"

A few parents who were usually friendly with him quickly joined in.
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  • The Ten-Dollar Lunch   Chapter 8

    That afternoon, the Department of Education issued a shutdown and investigation order to Bright Horizons Bilingual Preschool.The director and Ms. Walker lost their teaching credentials for illegal operations and for covering up an assault on a child. Legal repercussions were also waiting for them.At Apex Capital, Mr. Lewis handled the matter swiftly and thoroughly to calm my anger.Karen's dirty accounts were dug up in full. The total involved ran into the millions. She would be facing at least ten years in prison.As for Mark, he received a three-year prison sentence for intentionally injuring a child. Once Karen fell, the people the couple had bullied in the past came forward one after another to add their own complaints.All of their assets were seized by the court to pay debts and damages. Their arrogant daughter, Mia, was eventually sent back to a small hometown to be raised by her elderly grandfather.The parent chat was dissolved after that day.I heard the parents who

  • The Ten-Dollar Lunch   Chapter 7

    Mark still had not grasped what was happening. He tugged at Karen's arm."Honey, why are you kneeling? Get up and teach that bastard a lesson!"A sharp slap cracked through the classroom.Karen sprang up and backhanded Mark so hard he fell to the floor."Teach your mother! You useless idiot! Do you have any idea what kind of person you provoked?"You ruined me! You're going to get me killed in prison!"Like a woman possessed, Karen began punching and kicking him, unloading all of her fear and despair onto her stupid husband.Mark rolled across the floor, screaming.I watched the dogs turn on each other with no emotion.They should have thought of this before using their little bit of power to bully others.Then I turned to Ms. Walker and the preschool director, both of whom were trembling nearby.The director had arrived with Karen and had been hiding at the back, watching the show. Now her face was drained of color."You're the director?" I asked coldly.Her whole body jo

  • The Ten-Dollar Lunch   Chapter 6

    The moment Mark saw Karen, he rushed toward her like a drowning man grabbing a rope. He cried so hard his face twisted."Honey, you're finally here! If you had come any later, this bastard would have bullied me and our daughter to death!"He hit me and even made some fake video to frame me. You have to destroy him!"Karen saw Mark's swollen face and exploded in rage.She whirled around and glared at me, her finger nearly jabbing my nose."So you're the blind fool who dared to hit my husband?"Do you even know who I am in this city? One word from me and you'll disappear."As she shouted, she pulled a stack of business cards from her holder and flung them at me."Open your eyes and read. I'm a regional director at Apex Capital. I can crush ants like you with one finger."I looked down at the business cards scattered across the floor, my gaze resting on the words Apex Capital.I was not even angry anymore. She was too stupid to be worth it."Apex Capital?" I gave a cold laugh.

  • The Ten-Dollar Lunch   Chapter 5

    The moment I finished speaking, Mark burst into exaggerated laughter."Hah! Listen to this guy. Have the head of Apex get over here?"Who do you think you are? Did you watch too many TV dramas?"Several teachers and parents nearby also looked at me with open contempt. Obviously, they thought I was bluffing.Not long after, the wail of police sirens sounded outside the preschool.Two officers walked quickly into the classroom. Seeing the wreckage on the floor and Mark with the glass shard, they immediately frowned."Who called the police? What happened here?"The second Mark saw the officers, he threw away the glass, covered his swollen face, and switched expressions faster than a stage actor."Officers, thank goodness you're here! This lunatic barged in and attacked me. Look at my face. He almost knocked my teeth out!"He tried to hurt my daughter too. Arrest him!"The officers turned to me, waiting for my explanation.Suppressing my fury, I pointed to Theo's swollen hand an

  • The Ten-Dollar Lunch   Chapter 4

    I did not stop.I slapped him across the other side of his face."You touched my son! I'll kill you!"My voice came out raw, my eyes burning red.Mark finally reacted. Like a street thug, he shrieked and lunged at me."You bastard, you dare hit me? Do you know who my wife is?"He grabbed a glass cup from a desk and hurled it at me.I dodged sideways. The cup smashed against the wall, scattering shards across the floor.Mark picked up a sharp piece of broken glass and pointed it at me. His eyes were venomous."My wife is Karen Blake, regional director at Apex Capital! Hit me again and I'll destroy you and your son. I'll make sure you can't live in this city!"At that moment, Ms. Walker and several security guards rushed in after hearing the commotion.Ms. Walker took one look at the scene and immediately pointed at me."Ethan, have you lost your mind? How dare you attack someone inside the preschool?"Grab him! If anything happens to Mark, can you afford the consequences?"

  • The Ten-Dollar Lunch   Chapter 3

    "Exactly. He acts so superior all the time. What, does he think his kid's lunch is made of gold?""Children from single-parent homes really can be selfish. I think Ms. Walker handled it correctly.""Mark, don't waste your time arguing with him. Your wife is a senior executive at a major company. People like you don't need to stoop to his level."I stared coldly at the disgusting messages on my screen, then typed back."Lower level? Senior executive?"So that is why you think stealing from someone is acceptable?"Since all of you believe taking another child's belongings is reasonable, let's settle this face-to-face tomorrow. We'll see who actually has no place in that preschool."After sending the message, I exited the chat.Anger rolled through my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm.Mark was throwing his weight around because his wife held some corporate title. The teacher was obviously trying to curry favor with him.Did he really think that tiny bit of background was

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